Kentucky Speedway will pack 11 races and country music artists Travis Tritt, The Charlie Daniels Band, Billy Ray Cyrus, SHeDAISY and The Kentucky Headhunters into five weekends of entertainment in 2005. The new season begins May 14 and ends September 10.

The race schedule features main events with the NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, ARCA RE/MAX Series and NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southeast Series. Four races will be broadcast to national television audiences over networks such as ABC, ESPN, FX and SPEED Channel.

The Kentucky Headhunters lead off the speedway concert line-up on May 14 and will be followed by superstar Travis Tritt on June 18, Billy Ray Cyrus on July 9, SHeDAISY on August 14 and The Charlie Daniels Band on September 10. All entertainers will perform on the WUBE-FM B-105 Country Music Stage located on the Turn 1 Concourse.

"We're excited about the high-caliber race and concert line-up we'll present in 2005 as well as the new VIP concert area and Outback Steakhouse Tailgate Parties we're offering our season ticket members," Kentucky Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Mark F. Cassis said. "Fans will have the chance to see popular competitors from top racing series and enjoy great concerts throughout the season."

Season ticket packages go on sale Monday, November 15 and begin at $200. New and renewing members will be able to attend Outback Steakhouse Tailgate Parties during the June, July and August weekends and enjoy access to a VIP concert area. Members also will receive one general admission pole event voucher and cold pit pass with each season ticket purchased, the opportunity to purchase pole event tickets at half price, and a preferred parking pass that can be exchanged for free access to general camping areas. Season seat locations can be renewed each year.

Packages can be reserved online at www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by phone at 859-578-2300 or at the speedway ticket office located at 2216 Dixie Hwy., Ste. 200, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky. A mail in order form also is available on the tickets pages of the official track Web site.

Single event ticket sales will begin January 10, 2005. Children age 12 and under will once again be admitted free to pole events on Meijer Family Discount Night.

The sixth season of action begins with the ARCA RE/MAX Series "Bluegrass 150" on May 14. Six-time series champion and three-time Kentucky Speedway winner Frank Kimmel will look to reclaim a spot in Victory Lane after rookie driver Ryan Hemphill swept the series' two Kentucky events in 2004. The national stock car series will be joined by the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series, which returns to the paved quarter-mile track for a 100-lap battle after a two-year absence. Defending series champion and 2001 Kentucky Speedway winner Chad Guinn will defend both his series and Kentucky Speedway title. The trucks take to the quarter-mile at 1:00 p.m. and the stock cars follow at 3:00 p.m.

A full field of 43 drivers will contend for one of the top five purses on the 34-race NASCAR Busch Series circuit when the speedway hosts "The Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo" on June 18. The signature motorsports event in the state has attracted an average of 70,829 in its four-race history at the 66,089-seat Kentucky Speedway and is expected to extend its sellout run to five races. Defending race champion Kyle Busch graduated to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, leaving the Kentucky title vacant for the first time since 2001. The Saturday night battle begins under the lights at 8:00 p.m., and will be broadcast to a national television audience on the FX Network. Four-time Kentucky Speedway winner and Cincinnati, Ohio native Jeff Fultz and his fellow NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southeast Series drivers get the weekend started on June 17 with "The Bluegrass 150" on "Insight Communications Pole Night." The Friday evening slate also includes NASCAR Busch Series qualifying.

The July 8-9 weekend features fender-to-fender racing when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) continues its 10th Anniversary season with a return to Kentucky for "The Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by The Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers." Bobby Hamilton drove to his first Kentucky Speedway win last season and became one half of the only father-son combination to score victories at the track. Bobby Hamilton, Jr., won the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series event. The Saturday night battle will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel beginning at 8:00 p.m. The USAC Ford Focus Midget Car Series will begin the day with qualifying heats and feature races on the speedway quarter-mile track at 3:00 p.m. The weekend begins with "WLWT-TV Channel 5 Pole Night" on Friday. The evening features the ARCA RE/MAX Series "Bluegrass 150" race and NCTS qualifying.

Open-wheel excitement will highlight the August weekend at the speedway when the Indy Racing League IndyCar and Menards Infiniti Pro series drivers battle for top honors on the 1.5-mile tri-oval. Action begins August 13 at 2:00 p.m. on "Louisville Courier-Journal Pole Day" with the IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series "Bluegrass 100" race and IRL IndyCar Series qualifying. The weekend continues Sunday at 4:00 p.m., with the IndyCar Series "Bluegrass 300." Defending Kentucky champion Adrian Fernandez, who finished fourth in the final 2004 series standings, will attempt to become the first driver to successfully defend an IndyCar Series title at the track since veteran Buddy Lazier wheeled to repeat wins in 2000 and 2001.

The season delves into the fall for the second time in speedway history when the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southeast Series and Ford Focus Midget Series visit for "The Charlie Daniels Fall Classic" on September 10. The Ford Focus Midget Series ignites the action with qualifying heats and feature races beginning at 3:00 p.m. Top NAEDSS drivers will take the green flag for "The Charlie Daniels Band 150" at 8:00 p.m.